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Physical Therapy for Breast Cancer Recovery

Seeing a physical therapist after undergoing knee or back surgery isn’t unusual; in fact, most people expect it; however, the inclusion of post-surgery rehabilitation with breast cancer patients is a newer concept. Nowadays, many PTs work closely together to help those suffering from this disease achieve their optimal quality of life – whether they’ve had minor surgery like a lumpectomy, more significant surgery such as a single or double mastectomy, radiation, or chemotherapy. 

If you find yourself battling breast cancer, we want you to know you are not alone. Here at Impact Medical in Pompano Beach, our skilled medical professionals are ready to stand with you and provide you the rehabilitative care you deserve so that you can feel your best during your fight and after you have won.

HANDLING BREAST CANCER TREATMENT SIDE EFFECTS

The goal of post-surgical physical therapy or PT during breast cancer is to reduce pain and restore the function of body parts that have been impacted by treatments such as radiation, chemotherapy. Some side effects that PT can help to mitigate include:

• Pain in your shoulders, neck, back, chest, and arms
• Stiffness while moving an extremity
• Joint and tissue contracture
• Lymphedema/swelling
• Arm weakness after mastectomy or lumpectomy
• Nerve damage
• Post-surgical pain
• Muscle atrophy

TARGETED TREATMENT FOR BREAST CANCER 

Our Impact Medical Pompano Beach physical therapists may become your new best friends during and after your breast cancer treatment. They are experts in their field and can help you recover from a wide range of issues with several treatment modalities, including: 

MANUAL THERAPY

Physical therapists work their magic on joints and tissue to reduce pain and improve post-surgical scarring.

POSTURAL TRAINING

After cancer treatment, you may experience changes in your posture that need addressing. Your physical therapist can help identify specific exercises to address any postural problems and improve core spinal condition based on ergonomic assessments of where issues lie with this area after diagnosis or treatment has taken place.

TREATMENT FOR LYMPHEDEMA

You may have swelling in your arm or limbs after undergoing surgery to remove lymph nodes. Your therapist can help improve blood flow by using compression bandaging, giving you individualized exercises that increase muscle strength and flexibility, and providing you with tips for comfortably concealing inflamed areas.

REGULAR EXERCISE

Cancer treatment can be difficult, but through exercise, you have the power to minimize or even eliminate side effects. Your Impact Medical physical therapists will help design a personalized program based on your needs that ensures success at any stage!

WINNING THE BATTLE

The number of breast cancer survivors is on the rise, and physical therapists are playing a more significant role in this survival rate by providing multidisciplinary care for patients. Our Impact Medical PTs work with other treatment team members like surgeons, genetic counselors, psychologists to ensure that they support breast cancer warriors every step of the way.

A breast cancer diagnosis can be a life-altering event, but with the help of your doctors and Impact Medical care team members, we are confident you will weather the storm. In addition, we recognize the importance of complementary treatments in cancer care and recovery and can provide not only physical therapy but also manual therapy and chiropractic care. 

If you find yourself faced with cancer treatment and recovery, our Impact Medical team in Pompano Beach is ready to join you in your fight. Reach out to us today to schedule a consultation to learn how we can be one of your care partners. Call 954-953-0802 now! 

Prenatal Manual Therapy FAQ

What is the main difference between a regular manual and a prenatal manual?

The biggest difference is in the positioning of the body. While a traditional manual would have you lying flat on your back or even on your stomach, prenatal manuals are done mostly on your side or in an inclined position that’s somewhere between laying and sitting. Not only is it hard for women to lay on their stomach with a large belly in the way, but these baby-safe positions reduce any unwanted pressure that may cause discomfort and nausea for the soon-to-be mother.

What is involved in a prenatal manual?

Other than the positioning of the patient, prenatal manuals are designed to avoid hard pressure on parts of the body that are essential during labor such as the legs and abdomen. Rather, the process involves more soft, gentle strokes in order to apply light to medium pressure on areas that are safe to manual. Typically, the manual therapist will begin with the upper body including the head, shoulders, and neck before moving down to the lower back and legs.

Why should I get a prenatal manual?

There are countless benefits to receiving prenatal manuals as it can:

• Help induce sleep
• Set up for an easier delivery
• Reduce the risk of premature labor
• Wash away stress
• Calm swelling
• Bat away feelings of depression
• Balance hormones
• Improve circulation
• Relieve pain in the joints, muscles, and nerves
• Alleviate headaches and heartburn

How long do prenatal manuals last?

Prenatal manuals typically last about an hour, in some cases 90 minutes. These special sessions take a little longer because of the precautions that need to be taken in order to provide ultimate safety and comfort. Extra measures are taken while setting up to ensure a safe environment and the manual itself is a delicate process to give you maximum comfort.

What should I do before my appointment?

First and foremost, keep in mind any information that your manual therapist gives you during the time of scheduling your appointment. Aside from any cautions or disclaimers you may be given, there’s not much else to do other than to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and walk into your special day with good vibes for a relaxing time!

When should I begin getting prenatal manuals?

For ensured safety, it is recommended to wait until after your first trimester to schedule an appointment. Although there’s no confirmed study, there have been many correlations between prenatal manuals during the first trimester and miscarriages. This is likely because in some rare cases, manuals can trigger a detoxification in the body. Those toxins have a chance of returning to the bloodstream thus affecting the child. However, prenatal manuals after passing the first trimester is a healthy and highly-recommended procedure for both you and your child with the proper precautions. To see if you’re qualified to start scheduling an appointment, speak with a licensed therapist.

Where can I find a licensed prenatal manual therapist?

At Impact Medical Bradenton, we are especially qualified and certified to give you the best prenatal manual experience in the area. Call us at 941-269-2183 to speak with a specialist and schedule your appointment today!

Why You Should Avoid DIY Therapy

We live in a world of instant gratification and one where Do-It-Yourself (DIY) is more accessible and more straightforward than ever. With things like YouTube and other online tutorials, there’s practically nothing that you can’t learn how to fix or do on your own. Whether you want to build a kit car, change out the windows on your home, or learn how to make the perfect holiday dessert, it’s all right at your fingertips online. The problem is that this also means that DIY physical therapy is only a click away, and take it from the physical therapy pros at Impact Medical Pompano Beach when we say that this is one type of DIY that should never be attempted. 

Take a moment to imagine what would happen if you went online and “learned” how to do surgery. Do you really think that you’ll be helpful to the person you’re performing surgery on without the proper training and experience? No, you won’t. And the same goes for trying to self-diagnose and perform DIY therapy for any chronic pain or injuries you are experiencing. The healing and recovery specialists at Impact Medical Group Pompano Beach have put together the most critical reasons you should avoid DIY therapy for your recovery and healing. 

You Will Incorrectly Diagnose Yourself

Diagnosing yourself using internet blogs or YouTube videos puts you at risk of an incorrect diagnosis, especially if you consider: 

• Pain can have different causes: If you’re experiencing constant, throbbing pain, it can be an injured muscle, but if you’re suffering from sharp shooting pain, it may be a more severe injury requiring professional attention and diagnosis.
• Inflammation after an injury is part of the healing process: However, something like lingering inflammation for a few weeks can indicate a severe injury such as a hairline fracture.

There’s a good chance using the DIY method will result in you continuing doing the wrong exercises or other versions of self-treatment and result in additional injury. This is because the internet cannot assess your specific condition and educate you properly. 

The physical therapists at Impact Medical are highly trained and experts at diagnosing any issues from chronic pain or injury that you’re experiencing. And when you have the correct diagnosis, you’re able to recover better and faster. 

You Will Use the Right Exercises With The Wrong Form

You don’t have the experience and understanding of the musculoskeletal system that a professional physical therapist does. So, while you may feel that you’re doing the proper exercise to address your ailments or pain, chances are you may not be using the appropriate form to target the specific areas. This can result in you causing further injury to the areas of your body that you’re trying to heal. A video cannot give you feedback and make instant adjustments to your form that the physical therapists at Impact Medical can when they’re working closely with you. Our PT specialists work with you to create a customized care and recovery plan that includes: 

• Providing you with the correct exercises to encourage healing and recovery.
• Educating you on the proper form for every movement.
• Coaching you on how to maximize the impact of each activity.

You May End Up Relying on Outdated Methodology And Practices

PT is an ever-evolving scientific study of the human body and movement, and the scientific research it’s guided by is always coming out with new techniques and methodologies. If you’re putting the hands of your recovery in outdated internet videos and DIY PT, you may end up relying on outdated information that’s wrong for addressing your proper needs. This not only delays your recovery but can even cause lasting damage that can be prevented when you seek out professional PT guidance. The PTs at Impact Medical are some of the most experienced and knowledgeable professionals you’ll find all throughout Pompano Beach. We ensure that when you trust us for your treatment, you’re getting the most up-to-date physical therapy techniques based on current scientific research and study. 

Don’t Self-Diagnosis Your Pain, Let the Pros Help Stop Your Pain Today.

If you’re ready to step out of living in constant pain and searching for the DIY treatments that give temporary relief, we invite you to reach out to our Impact Medical team in Pompano Beach. Our friendly and dedicated staff is available to provide you with comprehensive and personalized medical care that addresses your pain and promotes proper healing. 

Your road to wellness starts here… So, give us a call today at 954-953-0802. 

Physical Therapy vs. Prescription Medication for Pain Management

If you suffer from chronic pain, getting relief from your pain is your top priority. Many people struggling with chronic pain lean on prescription medication for pain relief, but this usually only masks the symptoms of what is causing the pain. Thankfully, there is a modality that has been proven to work time and time again—physical therapy. 

Physical therapy is a natural and effective way to relieve pain and restore mobility. If you are struggling with acute or chronic pain, learn how physical therapy from Impact Med Wesley Chapel can help you get back to living a pain-free and drug-free lifestyle! 

Where Does Pain Come From?

When you are in pain, nerve signals are being sent from the brain telling you that something hurts. When you feel pain, your body sends natural opioids to help manage it, but if the pain is severe or chronic, your brain likely can’t produce enough opioids to keep up with the levels of pain that you are experiencing. 

That’s where medication use often comes in. Prescription medication mimics your body’s natural opioids to help relieve your pain, but they don’t assist the body in healing. That is where physical therapy can be beneficial. 

Pain Medication is a Short-Term Fix 

While painkillers might seem like a good solution in the short term, they aren’t. They only bring relief for the short term and do nothing to treat the issue that is causing your pain. 

Over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen all have various side effects, which can cause damage to your body if taken over a long period. Not to mention prescription opioids like oxycodone, morphine, and codeine are often misused and can lead to dependence, addiction, and overdoses. 

Relying on pain medication only masks your pain and symptoms in the short term but can also create debilitating and long-lasting side effects.

Physical Therapy for Pain Management 

Physical therapists can treat patients that are suffering from all kinds of chronic neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. Physical therapy is a non-invasive modality that treats the root causes of chronic pain including: 

• Neuropathic pain
• Disc degeneration disease
• Disc herniation
• Chronic headaches
• Fibromyalgia
• Arthritis
• Scoliosis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• COPD
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Cerebral palsy
• TMJ
• And many more! 

Your physical therapist may vary your treatment plan with different techniques and modalities to ease your pain such as manual therapy, manual therapy, cold laser therapy, ultrasound, electric stimulation, movement therapy, stretching, and more! 

Physical therapists often manipulate the joints and bones of the body to reduce pain and inflammation in the body which in turn speeds up the healing process. 

Learn More> Hands-On Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy Treats the Root Cause of Chronic Pain 

Physical therapy is so successful because it treats the cause of the pain, and alleviates the pain completely, instead of just masking the issue. Yes, it is easier to pop a pill for pain relief, but their relief is short-lived, and may only last for a few hours. 

Fortunately, physical therapy offers lasting relief. At your initial appointment, your physical therapist at Impact Med Wesley Chapel will perform a thorough evaluation to determine where the pain is coming from and to create the best treatment plan for you. Get ready for long-term lasting relief!  

Related> Modalities in Physical Therapy and How They Help

Manage Your Pain with Impact Med Wesley Chapel 

Instead of turning to over-the-counter or prescription pain medication, call our team at Impact Med Wesley Chapel and give physical therapy a try! We can create a unique treatment plan to combat your chronic or acute pain at its source so you can experience long-lasting and profound relief. 

What are you waiting for? Try physical therapy for pain management! Call Impact Med Wesley Chapel to schedule a consultation today—813-953-1002!